The essence of a guardian has two key features.

The base stats are 1.5 times higher than those of normal creatures, and they enable the use of all active skills that the normal creature possesses.

However, among the 5th floor rifts, the Rift of Light,

the essence held by the guardian Hell Giant Herja slightly deviates from the usual category.

“Alright, Emily… now that you’ve rested, try using it once.”

According to the original rule, she should be able to use all three active skills of the grade 4 monster ‘Cyclops’…

But Herja’s essence has only one active skill.

Moreover, that active skill is not even one that a normal ‘Cyclops’ has.

It’s this.

[Amelia Rainwales cast [Wave Link].]

When the skill is used, a faint line connects between Amelia and me. Only those targeted by the skill can see this connection line.

The effect is simple.

[Amelia Rainwales cast [Abyssal Power].]

Those connected can share skills with each other.

Like the black cluster blossoming on my hammer right now.

‘I really researched this essence a lot too.’

At first glance, it seems like an overpowered skill, but upon research, you learn

it’s not exactly an overpowered skill.

Well, except in a few cases.

Hwoong-!

The black cluster covering my hammer scatters into the air.

Amelia deactivated the skill…

“…The soul consumption is extreme.”

“How bad?”

“Not even lasting a minute at its best condition.”

In a way, it’s similar to [Self Replication] in penalty.

The MP consumption is monstrous.

“Then now will you try using it differently?”

As if to move on, Amelia closed her eyes and concentrated.

There are three ways to use [Wave Link].

The first is like just now–manifesting your skill through a companion.

You could call this a support type.

The second is…

‘A boss pattern.’

Attaching the link to an enemy and aggressively using it as a dealer type.

The Hell Giant we just defeated had a pattern of linking to me, sacrificing a handicap for powerful area attacks.

Well, since no one was nearby and every time it used the link I immediately targeted its eye, it wasn’t too difficult.

‘Anyway, skip this.’

Amelia has neither self-destruct skills nor AoEs, so this way doesn’t apply at all.

Thus, the last remaining way.

[Amelia Rainwales cast [Self Replication].]

[Amelia Rainwales cast [Wave Link].]

A utility type that strengthens summoned units.

This is practically the orthodox use of [Wave Link].

Using it as an attack transfers the handicap to the enemy and lets you use skills at the enemy’s location, which is a big advantage…

But that’s a method suitable only for monsters with huge MP pools.

[Wave Link] shines when used like this.

“Really… the soul consumption equalized. What kind of harmony is this?”

Well, as a gamer I don’t know the principle.

A mage would spout unknown theories about matching mental waves or frequencies.

I only know the result after countless experiments.

When used on a ‘summoned unit,’ MP consumption does not increase.

Ah, and clones are obviously considered summoned units too.

“With this… more diverse battles will be possible.”

Amelia, who has a knack for combat, seemed to instantly recognize the value of this new ability…

“By the way, about embodiment abilities… the passive skills you call in your world, I haven’t heard about those yet…”

“Oh, don’t you know about the Cyclops?”

“They’re not commonly seen… it’s strange for someone like you who knows all creature traits.”

Embarrassed by lack of knowledge, Amelia painted me as a strange person.

“Here, put this on. Then you’ll know what embodiment abilities are.”

I smirked and took out the item I had painstakingly obtained before she came in.

At the same time, a question appeared in Amelia’s eyes.

“This is…”

A monocle.

So-called the Gungye monocle.

[[One-Eyed] activated.]

[Character’s torso vision increases by +200.]

[You can see the invisible.]

After the duo raid with Amelia ended,

we kept swapping members and challenged the rifts.

While a tank can always fulfill their role, a dealer cannot.

The core of [Dungeon & Stone] is ‘affinities.’

If the affinity doesn’t match, there are enemies you absolutely cannot beat, but conversely, matching affinities makes the strategy much easier.

And…

‘It’d be a waste to let this talent pool rot.’

The royal family’s elite exploration force included all the talents I needed.

When a priest was needed, an archbishop-level priest went with us and obeyed my orders; if a grade 2 fire mage was needed, there was at least one capable mage.

‘Now I understand why there’s no limit on members.’

The maze is mainly designed for solo or duo rift clearing.

But it doesn’t seem designed for two people only.

Hundreds of people must enter, be divided appropriately, and steadily progress.

‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing. We’re discarding too many essences even after killing 5th floor guardians.’

When mages enter, they can take essences in test tubes, but otherwise, all must be discarded.

‘The cheapest ones would sell for hundreds of millions of stones at auction…’

Of course, the biggest regret was Ainard.

Not a graduation-level essence, but among the 5th floor guardians was an essence suitable for a spearman.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t easy enough to carry alone, so I gave up bringing him.

Still, thanks to this expedition, I fed Amelia a hard-to-get essence, so I was satisfied.

‘For a clone rogue, it’s basically a graduation essence, so no need to feed a substitute…’

Once again, the first basement floor is absurd.

It’s totally different from other parts of the maze.

There are so many first encounters and huge gains it’s hard to even estimate.

“…”

What exactly is this place?

After meeting the vampire gentleman, when I stay still alone, that thought fills my mind.

Silver sea, rainy season, dimensional collapse, chief, Hamshik…

I recall those things carefully to not forget and review whether I missed anything.

‘Sigh, what’s the use of thinking.’

Feeling stifled as always, I ended my thoughts.

And to clear my head, I finished resting and stood up.

“No matter what you say, the 4th floor is a no-go. It’s too dangerous.”

In front of the statue of Calphion, the 4th floor Rift Guardian, I saw an explorer pleading to Raven.

‘The name…’

What was it?

Everyone just called him ‘Big Hammer,’ so I didn’t know.

Anyway, he was a famous grade 3 explorer in the city.

“Can you reconsider? I really need this essence.”

He didn’t look like someone chasing experience points or obsessed with time attacks.

But he probably really needed that essence.

“No matter what you say…”

“Pardon me, but don’t the Golden Mage not really know my skills?”

“Are you saying my judgment was wrong?”

“Haha… not that… I just wanted him to be tested. To see if he’s qualified.”

Even as Raven spoke seriously, the man didn’t back down, and Raven sighed, seeming annoyed.

So I stepped in.

After all, I was the one who assigned this troublesome task.

“If you want to be tested, I’ll help.”

“Baron Yandel…?”

When I joined the conversation, the man looked surprised, then nodded as if relieved.

“Then I ask you, please.”

He raised his ‘Big Hammer’ with a hostile gaze right after.

‘I never even said how you’ll be tested.’

Not surprising.

Explorers have been macho for ages.

I actually prefer this way.

“Um… Mr. Yandel? You don’t have to waste strength because of me…”

What is she saying now?

“I’m not wasting strength.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m saving time.”

I activated [Gigantism] and looked down at him.

Then…

“You’re small.”

With that brief word, the sparring began.

But fittingly for someone nicknamed ‘Big Hammer,’ his body was quite solid, so the sparring dragged on.

About fifteen minutes passed.

“I lost…”

While he couldn’t damage me at all, he accepted defeat after I repeatedly smashed his jaw with the hammer.

“I guess I was greedy. It’s a shame, but I’ll give up on the 4th floor.”

His neat attitude was in stark contrast to how he pleaded with Raven.

It might seem strange, but macho types usually accept the laws of strength without complaint.

“Whaaaaaa!”

“The Baron’s victory!”

Crowds cheered, but I felt no particular excitement.

‘At this point, damage definitely isn’t landing.’

A recent frequent frustration of a tank.

With Bellarios essence and Aegis Barrier, I was several times stronger than before, but the damage was the same as before–

“Mr. Yandel, can I talk to you?”

“Ha ha ha, if it’s to say thanks, that’s fine–”

“Ah, you wasted 15 minutes on something that could’ve taken 5?”

“Uh…”

My mind blanked for a moment.

Raven chuckled like it was a joke when he saw me like that.

“Enough, follow me. I have something to tell you.”

We moved a few steps, Raven activated a voice control spell, and I changed my expression to serious.

“Is this a secret?”

“No? Not really… I don’t know. It’s better you judge.”

“Go ahead.”

I bowed to match his small stature, ready to listen, and Raven slowly began.

“As you know, I act as a kind of examiner, so I’ve had many chances to hear what happened inside. And I learned…”

Before he could say more, Raven summarized the key point.

“Duke Cambormiier isn’t saying anything anymore.”

“Not saying anything?”

Wasn’t that always the case?

I was about to say that when–

“No, literally no words. No rising murderous intent or anything.”

“Ah…”

“Now, he just rushes with bloodshot eyes as soon as you enter… I find it weird. Right after you appeared, he at least ‘spoke,’ didn’t he?”

My hand, lost in deep thought, naturally moved to my chin.

“Indeed…”

It’s suspicious.

It felt odd that a perfectly fine man suddenly went mad.

He was sane for three hours, wasn’t he?

“There’s no change without a cause.”

Raven said with a mage’s tone, looking up at me.

“Then why did the Duke suddenly change?”

As a barbarian, no matter how much I think, I can’t answer.

But as a gamer, it’s different.

Actually, the first hypothesis I had upon hearing that was–

[Actually… the madness has returned since a while ago.]

If the gentleman talking normally is an ‘error’ from the maze’s perspective…

‘Hotfix…’

It might be a real-time patch of an error.

By someone ruling the maze.

There are 27 types of Rift Guardians from 1st to 5th floor.

And 14 unidentified guardians in the same category as Duke Cambormiier.

A total of 41.

At first, the boss run felt overwhelming, but after steady progress, the end is near.

‘One left…’

Now only one statue remains.

For reference, that statue appears in a ‘unique rift’ that opens very rarely, and it doesn’t match well with me.

That’s why I saved it for last.

“Haa…”

I sighed while looking at the motionless stone gate despite dozens of lights already lit.

‘Looks like something will happen only after clearing that last one…’

It means I have no choice but to kill that one too.

‘At least two people can enter, so it might be doable…’

I thought about skipping this run, but there was no suitable alternative.

A tank is essential for boss fights, but there’s no one reliable enough to fill my place.

Well, there might be someone if I searched…

‘But I don’t trust them.’

In that case, better I go.

So now I have to decide who to bring.

‘Erwen again?’

It’s a safe choice.

She’s basically a cheat key.

Erwen was the one who hunted guardians most with me, second only to Raven.

For easy rifts, we brought a mage and collected essences; for difficult rifts, except some exceptions, I took Erwen along…

‘…No.’

I shook my head.

The current target isn’t a foe you can defeat by brute force alone.

How about Amelia?

‘She’s not bad either…’

But Ainard seems better.

Though his fighting spirit has * Novelight * (Continue reading) dropped and presence faded, his luck remains undeniable.

However…

Thunk.

If you’re hoping for luck, there’s a better option.

Right here, right before me.

“Get ready. We’re entering the rift.”

As soon as I said that, he blinked in surprise and asked again.

“Me? Why… why me?”

He was Sven Parab, a paladin of the Reatlas faith.